The Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood (FMDM) Sisters have a long tradition of providing healthcare. In 1949, a small group of FMDM Sisters arrived in Singapore, having been invited by the local government to take up a nursing post in the Tuberculosis Section of Tan Tock Seng Hospital. Within months, the Sisters were also nursing leprosy patients at the Trafalgar Home and staffing the School of Nursing there. Foreseeing the time when Singapore's recovery from the Japanese Occupation would mean that the Government would no longer need their services, and also in response to urging from several quarters, the Sisters saved their hard earned salaries to build up a fund for the eventual building of a private Catholic hospital. These savings amassed over 10 years were augmented by generous donations from both companies and individuals.
On 4th March 1961, Mount Alvernia Hospital was officially opened. In 1969, the building of an extension of Mount Alvernia Hospital was made possible through the generous donation by the late Mr Khoo Teck Puat. The beds in this block catered for chronically ill patients. 17 years later, in 1986, the Khoo block started accepting respite patients and the building then became known as Assisi Home. Assisi Home derived its name from the birthplace of Saint Francis, the Founder of the Franciscan Movement.
In March 1988, the Congregation of the Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood made a decision to expand into the area of Hospice Care and thereafter, Assisi began to admit only cancer patients requiring respite and hospice care. In 1992, the Sisters vacated their convent and refurbished it into a new hospice.
With that Assisi Home & Hospice was officially opened on April 1993 by the then President of Singapore, the late Mr Wee Kim Wee.
Since moving to its present premise in 1993, Assisi discontinued the admission of patients for long-term care and focused on hospice care for the terminally ill cancer patients. The name change from Assisi Home & Hospice to Assisi Hospice is a statement of our steadfast commitment to this mission.
As we continue to grow as a centre for compassionate and personalised palliative care, we have expanded our admission to accept patients with non-cancer diagnoses. This move is in keeping with the medical community's recognition of significant suffering even among those with other life-threatening illnesses. This is consistent with our core values to serve all, adults and children, in need of palliative and hospice care.